


The Unwalked Path

by serenbach



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Orpheus and Eurydice Myth, Post-Canon Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, afterlife rescue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 04:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11372463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenbach/pseuds/serenbach
Summary: As Ignis grieves for Noctis in the immediate aftermath of the last battle, he is approached by Carbuncle, who offers him the chance to go to the realm of the gods and intercede for the return of Noct's soul.Ignis agrees. He would do anything to bring Noct back, and hedefinitelyhas some choice words in mind for Bahamut.(Or an Orpheus and Eurydice inspired AU.)





	The Unwalked Path

Ignis felt the light of the sunset on his face as he wept quietly in the empty chapel. Noct was dead. There would be no return for him this time, no faint hope for Ignis to cling to. The Chosen King had sacrificed himself for the world, and there was ten years and more of unspoken words that Ignis would never say to him, and he couldn’t even begin to comprehend the loss.

Prompto had sobbed himself sick, and he’d not quite stopped since they’d found his body the day before. Gladio had pulled the sword (his father’s sword, Ignis had later learned) from Noct’s body and carried him to the long-abandoned chapel to the Astrals, laying him down as gently as he would a child on the pulpit before he punched a pillar so savagely he broke his hand, and had not spoken since. Prompto had taken him to find a bandage of some sort, and Ignis expected them to return shortly.

Ignis himself had not left Noct’s side. He wasn’t sure how he could ever bring himself to let him go. The last twenty-four hours felt longer than the previous ten, and the return of daylight provided no solace for him.

Ignis loved him.

Ignis missed him.

Ignis cried.

He fumbled for Noct’s cold hand, and felt the thinness of his wrist. When he’d felt in vain for a heartbeat he touched the edge of a gaping wound. When he gently closed his eyelids Ignis felt raised scars on his face, and in the middle of his grief, Ignis started to feel anger rise inside him.

How cruel were the gods to ask this of Noct? To have him live a third of his life in isolation and then suffer and die alone, apart from those who loved him? This was their great plan?

How could they do this to Noctis?

“It’s not fair,” Ignis said aloud, his voice choked with grief and anger. He stroked Noct’s hand as if trying to comfort him as his tears started again.

It was a child’s refrain, perhaps, but it was true.

His phone chirped in his pocket, an incongruous sound in the otherwise empty chapel. He awkwardly reached into his pocket, ignoring the tears on his face and refusing to let go of Noct’s hand.  

He expected Prompto or Gladio, or maybe Cid or Talcott. Instead the automated text reader Prompto had set up for him announced “ **Unknown Number.”**

Frowning at the interruption, he shoved his phone back in his pocket, only for it to beep again. This time when he pulled it out he jammed the button to delete the message, and a third message came through even as he did so.

Ignis sighed in defeat, and pressed to listen to the messages.

**“Unknown Number: It’s not fair.”**

The hair on the back of his neck prickled up, and he rose smoothly to his feet, standing protectively before Noct’s body as he had done so many times before. He pressed to listen to the last message, the one he had not deleted.

**“Unknown Number: You’re right. It’s not fair.”**

“Who’s there?” he said sharply, automatically trying to summon his daggers before he remembered, with a sharp stab of grief, that he could no longer do so, and stooped to pick one of them up from by his seat.

His phoned beeped again, and he jabbed the button before the alert even finished sounding.

**“Unknown Number: Noctis told you of me, I believe.”**

Ignis let out a shuddering breath. He could see light and dark, nothing more, but by his feet there was a small patch of even brighter light.

He lowered his dagger. “Carbuncle?” he asked and his phone sounded in reply.

**“Carbuncle: Yes.”**

Ignis scowled in the direction of the bright light. “Why come now, when you can no longer help him?”

**“Carbuncle: I didn’t want this. I loved him too.”**

“What good does that do?” Ignis demanded, his voice rising to a shout, his eyes burning. “The gods led him to this fate, as did you. Why show yourself to me now?” He wiped the angry tears from his eyes. “He is beyond any help or guidance from you.”

**“Carbuncle: We can bring him back.”**

Ignis dropped his phone, and swore fervently, dropping to his knees and scrabbling for it. As he did, he heard the scraping sound on metal on stone, and his phone appeared under his hand, as did the briefest brush of soft fur.

The screen was cracked, but the phone still responded when he frantically pressed it.

“What do you mean? How can we bring him back?” His voice wavered, caught between grief and the agony of hope.

**“Carbuncle: He still has my charm. I can heal and preserve his body, but someone else will need to intercede for his soul. The others won’t listen to me.”**

Ignis’ heart started pounding. His ears were ringing and he felt faint, but he still asked, “Intercede with _whom_ , exactly?”

He already knew he would do it, whatever it took.

**“Carbuncle: With the Draconian.”**

“Bahamut,” Ignis murmured to himself, gripping his phone tighter.  

**“Carbuncle: We can take you to him. It won’t be easy, and he won’t be happy.”**

“I don’t care,” Ignis said. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

**“Carbuncle: Good. Get ready while I heal him.”**

Ignis gathered his daggers, wishing he had some sort of sheath for them. His spear was lost to him, as it had still been in the Armory when he lost access to it. He had nothing else on him, other than his phone. He stroked his thumb across the unbroken portion of the screen, wondering if he should let Prompto and Gladio know what was happening.

But they would only worry, and there was a strong probability that they wouldn’t believe him, and the thought of delaying now to explain was unbearable.

There was a flash of light, visible even to him, and his phone beeped again.

**“Carbuncle: Let’s go, Ignis!”**

Ignis felt his way back to the dais where Noct’s body lay, and bent down, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead the way he had never dared to do while he was alive.

“I’ll see you soon,” he whispered. “Hold on, Noct.”

He made his way to the exit of the chapel, following the moving bright patch of light before him.

“How will we get to Bahamut?” Ignis asked. “Who is the ‘we’ you spoke of?”

**“Carbuncle: Another friend who thinks Noct’s fate is unfair.”**

As they turned the corner, Ignis heard a familiar bark, and his heart lifted a little.

“Umbra,” he called, and felt the dog rub up against his legs. He bent down to pet him gratefully. “Thank you,” he murmured and smiled for the first time that day as Umbra licked his hand.

**“Carbuncle: Hold his paw and take a deep breath.”**

Ignis did as he was told, and for a moment, felt as if nothing had happened. He didn’t physically move, and the limited light he could see didn’t get any brighter or darker, but then the air surrounding him became noticeably colder.

Ignis thought longingly of his jacket, and then bit his lip as he thought of how many times he’d reminded Noct to wear his. He put the thoughts of the cold behind him.

Nothing mattered now but getting Noctis back.

**“Carbuncle: Are you ready?”**

Ignis nodded. “I am.”

He definitely had some choice words in mind for Bahamut.  

**Author's Note:**

> Who else is really mad at Bahamut? It can't just be me, surely? 
> 
> Kudos and comments always appreciated!


End file.
